Pre-throttle pressure control systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A system for a vehicle includes a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) module and a desired effective area module. The desired MAF module generates a desired MAF through a throttle valve of an engine based on an engine torque request. The desired effective area module generates a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF. A throttle actuator module adjusts opening of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/446,736, filed on Feb. 25, 2011. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to pre-throttle pressure control systems and methods.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Internal combustion engines combust an air and fuel mixture within cylinders to drive pistons, which produces drive torque. Air flow into the engine is regulated via a throttle. More specifically, the throttle adjusts throttle area, which increases or decreases air flow into the engine. As the throttle area increases, the air flow into the engine increases. A fuel control system adjusts the rate that fuel is injected to provide a desired air/fuel mixture to the cylinders and/or to achieve a desired torque output. Increasing the amount of air and fuel provided to the cylinders increases the torque output of the engine.

In spark-ignition engines, spark initiates combustion of an air/fuel mixture provided to the cylinders. In compression-ignition engines, compression in the cylinders combusts the air/fuel mixture provided to the cylinders. Spark timing and air flow may be the primary mechanisms for adjusting the torque output of spark-ignition engines, while fuel flow may be the primary mechanism for adjusting the torque output of compression-ignition engines.

Engine control systems have been developed to control engine output torque to achieve a desired torque. Traditional engine control systems, however, do not control the engine output torque as accurately as desired. Further, traditional engine control systems do not provide a rapid response to control signals or coordinate engine torque control among various devices that affect the engine output torque.

SUMMARY

A system for a vehicle includes a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) module and a desired effective area module. The desired MAF module generates a desired MAF through a throttle valve of an engine based on an engine torque request. The desired effective area module generates a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF. A throttle actuator module adjusts opening of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area.

In other implementations, a system for a vehicle includes a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) module, a desired effective area module, a max effective area module, and a desired area module. The desired MAF module generates a desired MAF through a throttle valve of an engine. The desired effective area module generates a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF. The max effective area module generates a maximum effective area of the throttle valve based on the TIAP. The desired area module generates a desired area of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area. A throttle actuator module adjusts opening of the throttle valve based on the desired area.

A method for a vehicle includes: generating a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) through a throttle valve of an engine; generating a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF; generating a maximum effective area of the throttle valve based on the TIAP; generating a desired area of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area; and adjusting opening of the throttle valve based on the desired area.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example engine system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an example engine control system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an example graph of effective area as a function of throttle position at various throttle inlet air pressures (TIAPs);

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an example air control module according to the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 5-6 are flowcharts depicting example methods of controlling a throttle valve based on TIAP according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. For purposes of clarity, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or. It should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term module may refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); an electronic circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; other suitable components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip. The term module may include memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, and/or objects. The term shared, as used above, means that some or all code from multiple modules may be executed using a single (shared) processor. In addition, some or all code from multiple modules may be stored by a single (shared) memory. The term group, as used above, means that some or all code from a single module may be executed using a group of processors. In addition, some or all code from a single module may be stored using a group of memories.

The apparatuses and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programs may also include stored data. Non-limiting examples of the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium are nonvolatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

An engine control module (ECM) determines a desired effective area for a throttle valve of an engine based on a request for engine torque output. The ECM also determines a maximum effective area and determines a desired area of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area. The ECM controls opening of the throttle valve based on the desired area.

However, effective area of the throttle valve may change with throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP). For example only, at a given throttle position (and corresponding area), the effective area of the throttle valve may increase as the TIAP increases. The TIAP may increase, for example, as altitude above sea level increases, as output of a turbocharger increases, and/or under one or more other circumstances.

The ECM of the present disclosure determines the desired effective area and the maximum effective area based on the TIAP. In this manner, changes in the TIAP are reflected in the desired effective area and the maximum effective area and also in the desired area. Determining the desired effective area and the maximum effective area based on the TIAP allows the ECM to more accurately control the throttle valve and to more accurately achieve one or more desired airflow conditions.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine system 100 is presented. The engine system 100 includes an engine 102 that combusts an air/fuel mixture to produce drive torque for a vehicle based on driver input from a driver input module 104. Air is drawn into an intake manifold 110 through a throttle valve 112. For example only, the throttle valve 112 may include a butterfly valve having a rotatable blade. An engine control module (ECM) 114 controls a throttle actuator module 116, which regulates opening of the throttle valve 112 to control the amount of air drawn into the intake manifold 110.

Air from the intake manifold 110 is drawn into cylinders of the engine 102. While the engine 102 may include multiple cylinders, for illustration purposes a single representative cylinder 118 is shown. For example only, the engine 102 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and/or 12 cylinders. The ECM 114 may instruct a cylinder actuator module 120 to selectively deactivate some of the cylinders, which may improve fuel economy under certain engine operating conditions.

The engine 102 may operate using a four-stroke cycle. The four strokes, described below, are named the intake stroke, the compression stroke, the combustion stroke, and the exhaust stroke. During each revolution of a crankshaft (not shown), two of the four strokes occur within the cylinder 118. Therefore, two crankshaft revolutions are necessary for the cylinder 118 to experience all four of the strokes.

During the intake stroke, air from the intake manifold 110 is drawn into the cylinder 118 through an intake valve 122. The ECM 114 controls a fuel actuator module 124, which regulates fuel injection to achieve a desired air/fuel ratio. Fuel may be injected into the intake manifold 110 at a central location or at multiple locations, such as near the intake valve 122 of each of the cylinders. In various implementations (not shown), fuel may be injected directly into the cylinders or into mixing chambers associated with the cylinders. The fuel actuator module 124 may halt injection of fuel to cylinders that are deactivated.

The injected fuel mixes with air and creates an air/fuel mixture in the cylinder 118. During the compression stroke, a piston (not shown) within the cylinder 118 compresses the air/fuel mixture. The engine 102 may be a compression-ignition engine, in which case compression in the cylinder 118 ignites the air/fuel mixture. Alternatively, the engine 102 may be a spark-ignition engine, in which case a spark actuator module 126 energizes a spark plug 128 in the cylinder 118 based on a signal from the ECM 114, which ignites the air/fuel mixture. The timing of the spark may be specified relative to the time when the piston is at its topmost position, referred to as top dead center (TDC).

The spark actuator module 126 may be controlled by a timing signal specifying how far before or after TDC to generate the spark. Because piston position is directly related to crankshaft rotation, operation of the spark actuator module 126 may be synchronized with crankshaft angle. In various implementations, the spark actuator module 126 may halt provision of spark to deactivated cylinders.

Generating the spark may be referred to as a firing event. The spark actuator module 126 may have the ability to vary the timing of the spark for each firing event. The spark actuator module 126 may even be capable of varying the spark timing for a next firing event when the spark timing is changed between a last firing event and the next firing event.

During the combustion stroke, the combustion of the air/fuel mixture drives the piston down, thereby driving the crankshaft. The combustion stroke may be defined as the time between the piston reaching TDC and the time at which the piston returns to bottom dead center (BDC).

During the exhaust stroke, the piston begins moving up from BDC and expels the byproducts of combustion through an exhaust valve 130. The byproducts of combustion are exhausted from the vehicle via an exhaust system 134.

The intake valve 122 may be controlled by an intake camshaft 140, while the exhaust valve 130 may be controlled by an exhaust camshaft 142. In various implementations, multiple intake camshafts (including the intake camshaft 140) may control multiple intake valves (including the intake valve 122) for the cylinder 118 and/or may control the intake valves (including the intake valve 122) of multiple banks of cylinders (including the cylinder 118). Similarly, multiple exhaust camshafts (including the exhaust camshaft 142) may control multiple exhaust valves for the cylinder 118 and/or may control exhaust valves (including the exhaust valve 130) for multiple banks of cylinders (including the cylinder 118).

The cylinder actuator module 120 may deactivate the cylinder 118 by disabling opening of the intake valve 122 and/or the exhaust valve 130. In various other implementations, the intake valve 122 and/or the exhaust valve 130 may be controlled by devices other than camshafts, such as electromagnetic actuators.

The time at which the intake valve 122 is opened may be varied with respect to piston TDC by an intake cam phaser 148. The time at which the exhaust valve 130 is opened may be varied with respect to piston TDC by an exhaust cam phaser 150. A phaser actuator module 158 may control the intake cam phaser 148 and the exhaust cam phaser 150 based on signals from the ECM 114. When implemented, variable valve lift (not shown) may also be controlled by the phaser actuator module 158.

The engine system 100 may include a boost device that provides pressurized air to the intake manifold 110. For example, FIG. 1 shows a turbocharger including a hot turbine 160-1 that is powered by hot exhaust gases flowing through the exhaust system 134. The turbocharger also includes a cold air compressor 160-2, driven by the turbocharger turbine 160-1, that compresses air leading into the throttle valve 112. In various implementations, a supercharger (not shown), driven by the crankshaft, may compress air from the throttle valve 112 and deliver the compressed air to the intake manifold 110.

A wastegate 162 may allow exhaust to bypass the turbocharger turbine 160-1, thereby reducing the boost (the amount of intake air compression) of the turbocharger. The ECM 114 may control the turbocharger via a boost actuator module 164. The boost actuator module 164 may modulate the boost of the turbocharger by controlling the position of the wastegate 162. In various implementations, multiple turbochargers may be controlled by the boost actuator module 164. The turbocharger may have variable geometry, which may be controlled by the boost actuator module 164.

An intercooler (not shown) may dissipate some of the heat contained in the compressed air charge, which is generated as the air is compressed. The compressed air charge may also have absorbed heat from components of the exhaust system 134. Although shown separated for purposes of illustration, the turbocharger turbine 160-1 and the turbocharger compressor 160-2 may be attached to each other, placing intake air in close proximity to hot exhaust.

The engine system 100 may include an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve 170, which selectively redirects exhaust gas back to the intake manifold 110. The EGR valve 170 may be located upstream of the turbocharger turbine 160-1. The EGR valve 170 may be controlled by an EGR actuator module 172.

The engine system 100 may measure crankshaft position using a crankshaft position sensor 180. One or more engine speeds may be determined based on the crankshaft position measured by the crankshaft position sensor 180. The temperature of the engine coolant may be measured using an engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor 182. The ECT sensor 182 may be located within the engine 102 or at other locations where the coolant is circulated, such as a radiator (not shown).

The pressure within the intake manifold 110 may be measured using a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor 184. In various implementations, engine vacuum, which is the difference between ambient air pressure and the pressure within the intake manifold 110, may be measured. The mass flow rate of air flowing into the intake manifold 110 may be measured using a mass air flow (MAF) sensor 186. In various implementations, the MAF sensor 186 may be located in a housing that also includes the throttle valve 112.

The throttle actuator module 116 may monitor the position of the throttle valve 112 using one or more throttle position sensors (TPS) 190. The ambient temperature of air being drawn into the engine 102 may be measured using an intake air temperature (IAT) sensor 192. A throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) sensor 193 may be implemented in various implementations. The TIAP sensor 193 measures air pressure near an inlet (upstream) of the throttle valve 112 and generates a TIAP signal based on the air pressure. The ECM 114 may use signals from the sensors to make control decisions for the engine system 100.

The ECM 114 may communicate with a transmission control module 194 to coordinate shifting gears in an automatic type transmission (not shown). The automatic type transmission may include, for example, an automatic transmission, a clutch to clutch transmission, a dual clutch transmission, or another suitable type of automatic transmission. For example, the ECM 114 may reduce engine torque during a gear shift. The ECM 114 may communicate with a hybrid control module 196 to coordinate operation of the engine 102 and an electric motor 198.

The electric motor 198 may also function as a generator, and may be used to produce electrical energy for use by vehicle electrical systems and/or for storage in a battery. In various implementations, various functions of the ECM 114, the transmission control module 194, and the hybrid control module 196 may be integrated into one or more modules.

Each system that varies an engine parameter may be referred to as an actuator that receives an actuator value. For example, the throttle actuator module 116 may be referred to as an actuator and the throttle opening area may be referred to as the actuator value. In the example of FIG. 1, the throttle actuator module 116 achieves the throttle opening area by adjusting an angle of the blade of the throttle valve 112.

Similarly, the spark actuator module 126 may be referred to as an actuator, while the corresponding actuator value may be the amount of spark advance relative to cylinder TDC. Other actuators may include the cylinder actuator module 120, the fuel actuator module 124, the phaser actuator module 158, the boost actuator module 164, and the EGR actuator module 172. For these actuators, the actuator values may correspond to number of activated cylinders, fueling rate, intake and exhaust cam phaser angles, boost pressure, and EGR valve opening area, respectively. The ECM 114 may control actuator values in order to cause the engine 102 to generate a desired engine output torque.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine control system is presented. An exemplary implementation of the ECM 114 includes a driver torque module 202, an axle torque arbitration module 204, and a propulsion torque arbitration module 206. The ECM 114 may include a hybrid optimization module 208. The exemplary implementation of the ECM 114 also includes a reserves/loads module 220, an actuation module 224, an air control module 228, a spark control module 232, a cylinder control module 236, and a fuel control module 240. The exemplary implementation of the ECM 114 also includes a torque estimation module 244, a boost scheduling module 248, and a phaser scheduling module 252.

The driver torque module 202 may determine a driver torque request 254 based on a driver input 255 from the driver input module 104. The driver input 255 may be based on, for example, a position of an accelerator pedal and a position of a brake pedal. The driver input 255 may also be based on cruise control, which may be an adaptive cruise control system that varies vehicle speed to maintain a predetermined following distance. The driver torque module 202 may store one or more mappings of accelerator pedal position to desired torque and may determine the driver torque request 254 based on a selected one of the mappings.

An axle torque arbitration module 204 arbitrates between the driver torque request 254 and other axle torque requests 256. Axle torque (torque at the wheels) may be produced by various sources including an engine and/or an electric motor. Generally, torque requests may include absolute torque requests as well as relative torque requests and ramp requests. For example only, ramp requests may include a request to ramp torque down to a minimum engine off torque or to ramp torque up from the minimum engine off torque. Relative torque requests may include temporary or persistent torque reductions or increases.

The axle torque requests 256 may include a torque reduction requested by a traction control system when positive wheel slip is detected. Positive wheel slip occurs when axle torque overcomes friction between the wheels and the road surface, and the wheels begin to slip against the road surface. The axle torque requests 256 may also include a torque increase request to counteract negative wheel slip, where a tire of the vehicle slips in the other direction with respect to the road surface because the axle torque is negative.

The axle torque requests 256 may also include brake management requests and vehicle over-speed torque requests. Brake management requests may reduce axle torque to ensure that the axle torque does not exceed the ability of the brakes to hold the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped. Vehicle over-speed torque requests may reduce the axle torque to prevent the vehicle from exceeding a predetermined speed. The axle torque requests 256 may also be generated by vehicle stability control systems.

The axle torque arbitration module 204 outputs a predicted torque request 257 and an immediate torque request 258 based on the results of arbitrating between the received torque requests 254 and 256. As described below, the predicted and immediate torque requests 257 and 258 from the axle torque arbitration module 204 may selectively be adjusted by other modules of the ECM 114 before being used to control actuators of the engine system 100.

In general terms, the immediate torque request 258 is the amount of currently desired axle torque, while the predicted torque request 257 is the amount of axle torque that may be needed on short notice. The ECM 114 controls the engine system 100 to produce an axle torque equal to the immediate torque request 258. However, different combinations of actuator values may result in the same axle torque. The ECM 114 may therefore adjust the actuator values to allow a faster transition to the predicted torque request 257, while still maintaining the axle torque at the immediate torque request 258.

In various implementations, the predicted torque request 257 may be based on the driver torque request 254. The immediate torque request 258 may be less than the predicted torque request 257, such as when the driver torque request 254 is causing wheel slip on an icy surface. In such a case, a traction control system (not shown) may request a reduction via the immediate torque request 258, and the ECM 114 reduces the torque produced by the engine system 100 to the immediate torque request 258. However, the ECM 114 controls the engine system 100 so that the engine system 100 can quickly resume producing the predicted torque request 257 once the wheel slip stops.

In general terms, the difference between the immediate torque request 258 and the (generally higher) predicted torque request 257 can be referred to as a torque reserve. The torque reserve may represent the amount of additional torque (above the immediate torque request 258) that the engine system 100 can begin to produce with minimal delay. Fast engine actuators are used to increase or decrease current axle torque. As described in more detail below, fast engine actuators are defined in contrast with slow engine actuators.

In various implementations, fast engine actuators are capable of varying axle torque within a range, where the range is established by the slow engine actuators. In such implementations, the upper limit of the range is the predicted torque request 257, while the lower limit of the range is limited by the torque capacity of the fast actuators. For example only, fast actuators may only be able to reduce axle torque by a first amount, where the first amount is a measure of the torque capacity of the fast actuators. The first amount may vary based on engine operating conditions set by the slow engine actuators. When the immediate torque request 258 is within the range, fast engine actuators can be set to cause the axle torque to be equal to the immediate torque request 258. When the ECM 114 requests the predicted torque request 257 to be output, the fast engine actuators can be controlled to vary the axle torque to the top of the range, which is the predicted torque request 257.

In general terms, fast engine actuators can more quickly change the axle torque when compared to slow engine actuators. Slow actuators may respond more slowly to changes in their respective actuator values than fast actuators do. For example, a slow actuator may include mechanical components that require time to move from one position to another in response to a change in actuator value. A slow actuator may also be characterized by the amount of time it takes for the axle torque to begin to change once the slow actuator begins to implement the changed actuator value. Generally, this amount of time will be longer for slow actuators than for fast actuators. In addition, even after beginning to change, the axle torque may take longer to fully respond to a change in a slow actuator.

For example only, the ECM 114 may set actuator values for slow actuators to values that would enable the engine system 100 to produce the predicted torque request 257 if the fast actuators were set to appropriate values. Meanwhile, the ECM 114 may set actuator values for fast actuators to values that, given the slow actuator values, cause the engine system 100 to produce the immediate torque request 258 instead of the predicted torque request 257.

The fast actuator values therefore cause the engine system 100 to produce the immediate torque request 258. When the ECM 114 decides to transition the axle torque from the immediate torque request 258 to the predicted torque request 257, the ECM 114 changes the actuator values for one or more fast actuators to values that correspond to the predicted torque request 257. Because the slow actuator values have already been set based on the predicted torque request 257, the engine system 100 is able to produce the predicted torque request 257 after only the delay imposed by the fast actuators. In other words, the longer delay that would otherwise result from changing axle torque using slow actuators is avoided.

For example only, when the predicted torque request 257 is equal to the driver torque request 254, a torque reserve may be created when the immediate torque request 258 is less than the driver torque request 254 due to a temporary torque reduction request. Alternatively, a torque reserve may be created by increasing the predicted torque request 257 above the driver torque request 254 while maintaining the immediate torque request 258 at the driver torque request 254. The resulting torque reserve can absorb sudden increases in required axle torque. For example only, sudden loads imposed by an air conditioner or a power steering pump may be counteracted by increasing the immediate torque request 258. If the increase in the immediate torque request 258 is less than the torque reserve, the increase can be quickly produced by using fast actuators. The predicted torque request 257 may also be increased to re-establish the previous torque reserve.

Another example use of a torque reserve is to reduce fluctuations in slow actuator values. Because of their relatively slow speed, varying slow actuator values may produce control instability. In addition, slow actuators may include mechanical parts, which may draw more power and/or wear more quickly when moved frequently. Creating a sufficient torque reserve allows changes in desired torque to be made by varying fast actuators via the immediate torque request 258 while maintaining the values of the slow actuators. For example, to maintain a given idle speed, the immediate torque request 258 may vary within a range. If the predicted torque request 257 is set to a level above this range, variations in the immediate torque request 258 that maintain the idle speed can be made using fast actuators without the need to adjust slow actuators.

For example only, in a spark-ignition engine, spark timing may be a fast actuator value, while throttle opening area may be a slow actuator value. Spark-ignition engines may combust fuels including, for example, gasoline and ethanol, by applying a spark. By contrast, in a compression-ignition engine, fuel flow may be a fast actuator value, while throttle opening area may be used as an actuator value for engine characteristics other than torque. Compression-ignition engines may combust fuels including, for example, diesel, by compressing the fuels.

When the engine 102 is a spark-ignition engine, the spark actuator module 126 may be a fast actuator and the throttle actuator module 116 may be a slow actuator. After receiving a new actuator value, the spark actuator module 126 may be able to change spark timing for the following firing event. When the spark timing (also called spark advance) for a firing event is set to an optimum spark timing, a maximum amount of torque may be produced in the combustion stroke immediately following the firing event. However, a spark advance deviating from the optimum spark timing may reduce the amount of torque produced in the combustion stroke. Therefore, the spark actuator module 126 may be able to vary engine output torque as soon as the next firing event occurs by varying spark advance. For example only, a table of spark advances corresponding to different engine operating conditions may be determined during a calibration phase of vehicle design, and the optimum spark timing is selected from the table based on current engine operating conditions.

By contrast, changes in throttle opening area take longer to affect engine output torque. The throttle actuator module 116 changes the throttle opening area by adjusting the angle of the blade of the throttle valve 112. Therefore, once a new actuator value is received, there is a mechanical delay as the throttle valve 112 moves from its previous position to a new position based on the new actuator value. In addition, air flow changes based on the throttle opening area are subject to air transport delays in the intake manifold 110. Further, increased air flow in the intake manifold 110 is not realized as an increase in engine output torque until the cylinder 118 receives additional air in the next intake stroke, compresses the additional air, and commences the combustion stroke.

Using these actuators as an example, a torque reserve can be created by setting the throttle opening area to a value that would allow the engine 102 to produce the predicted torque request 257. Meanwhile, the spark timing can be set based on the immediate torque request 258, which is less than the predicted torque request 257. Although the throttle opening area generates enough air flow for the engine 102 to produce the predicted torque request 257, the spark timing is retarded (which reduces torque) based on the immediate torque request 258. The engine output torque will therefore be equal to the immediate torque request 258.

When additional torque is needed, the spark timing can be set based on the predicted torque request 257 or a torque between the predicted and immediate torque requests 257 and 258. By the following firing event, the spark actuator module 126 may return the spark advance to an optimum spark timing, which allows the engine 102 to produce the full engine output torque achievable with the air flow already present. The engine output torque may therefore be quickly increased to the predicted torque request 257 without experiencing delays from changing the throttle opening area.

When the engine 102 is a compression-ignition engine, the fuel actuator module 124 may be a fast actuator and the throttle actuator module 116 and the boost actuator module 164 may be emissions actuators. The fuel mass may be set based on the immediate torque request 258, and the throttle opening area, boost, and EGR opening may be set based on the predicted torque request 257. The throttle opening area may generate more air flow than necessary to satisfy the predicted torque request 257. In turn, the air flow generated may be more than required for complete combustion of the injected fuel such that the air/fuel ratio is usually lean and changes in air flow do not affect the engine output torque. The engine output torque will therefore be equal to the immediate torque request 258 and may be increased or decreased by adjusting the fuel flow.

The throttle actuator module 116, the boost actuator module 164, and the EGR valve 170 may be controlled based on the predicted torque request 257 to control emissions and to minimize turbo lag. The throttle actuator module 116 may create a vacuum within the intake manifold 110 to draw exhaust gases through the EGR valve 170 and into the intake manifold 110.

The axle torque arbitration module 204 may output the predicted torque request 257 and the immediate torque request 258 to a propulsion torque arbitration module 206. In various implementations, the axle torque arbitration module 204 may output the predicted and immediate torque requests 257 and 258 to the hybrid optimization module 208.

The hybrid optimization module 208 may determine how much torque should be produced by the engine 102 and how much torque should be produced by the electric motor 198. The hybrid optimization module 208 then outputs modified predicted and immediate torque requests 259 and 260, respectively, to the propulsion torque arbitration module 206. In various implementations, the hybrid optimization module 208 may be implemented in the hybrid control module 196.

The predicted and immediate torque requests 259 and 260 received by the propulsion torque arbitration module 206 are converted from an axle torque domain (torque at the wheels) into a propulsion torque domain (torque at the crankshaft). This conversion may occur before, after, as part of, or in place of the hybrid optimization module 208.

The propulsion torque arbitration module 206 arbitrates between propulsion torque requests 279, including the converted predicted and immediate torque requests 259 and 260. The propulsion torque arbitration module 206 generates an arbitrated predicted torque request 261 and an arbitrated immediate torque request 262. The arbitrated predicted and immediate torque requests 261 and 262 may be generated by selecting a winning request from among the received torque requests. Alternatively or additionally, the arbitrated torque requests may be generated by modifying one of the received requests based on another one or more of the received torque requests.

The propulsion torque requests 279 may include torque reductions for engine over-speed protection and torque increases for stall prevention. The propulsion torque requests 279 may also result from clutch fuel cutoff, which reduces the engine output torque when the driver depresses the clutch pedal in a manual transmission vehicle to prevent a flare (rapid rise) in engine speed.

The propulsion torque requests 279 may also include an engine shutoff request, which may be initiated when a critical fault is detected. For example only, critical faults may include detection of vehicle theft, a stuck starter motor, electronic throttle control problems, and unexpected torque increases. In various implementations, when an engine shutoff request is present, arbitration selects the engine shutoff request as the winning request. When the engine shutoff request is present, the propulsion torque arbitration module 206 may output zero as the arbitrated predicted and immediate torque requests 261 and 262.

In various implementations, an engine shutoff request may simply shut down the engine 102 separately from the arbitration process. The propulsion torque arbitration module 206 may still receive the engine shutoff request so that, for example, appropriate data can be fed back to other torque requestors. For example, all other torque requestors may be informed that they have lost arbitration.

The reserves/loads module 220 receives the arbitrated predicted and immediate torque requests 261 and 262. The reserves/loads module 220 may adjust the arbitrated predicted and/or immediate torque requests 261 and 262 to create a torque reserve and/or to compensate for one or more loads. The reserves/loads module 220 then outputs adjusted predicted and immediate torque requests 263 and 264 to the actuation module 224.

For example only, a catalyst light-off process or a cold start emissions reduction process may require a retarded spark timing. The reserves/loads module 220 may therefore increase the adjusted predicted torque request 263 above the adjusted immediate torque request 264 to create the retarded spark timing for the cold start emissions reduction process while maintaining the engine output torque. In another example, the air/fuel ratio of the engine and/or the mass air flow may be directly varied, such as by diagnostic intrusive equivalence ratio testing and/or new engine purging. Before beginning these processes, a torque reserve may be created or increased to quickly offset decreases in engine output torque that result from leaning the air/fuel mixture during these processes.

The reserves/loads module 220 may also create or increase a torque reserve in anticipation of a future load, such as power steering pump operation or engagement of an air conditioning (A/C) compressor clutch. The reserve for engagement of the A/C compressor clutch may be created when the driver first requests air conditioning. The reserves/loads module 220 may increase the adjusted predicted torque request 263 while leaving the adjusted immediate torque request 264 unchanged to produce the torque reserve. Then, when the A/C compressor clutch engages, the reserves/loads module 220 may increase the adjusted immediate torque request 264 by the estimated load of the A/C compressor clutch.

The actuation module 224 receives the adjusted predicted and immediate torque requests 263 and 264. The actuation module 224 determines how the adjusted predicted and immediate torque requests 263 and 264 will be achieved. The actuation module 224 may be engine type specific. For example, the actuation module 224 may be implemented differently or use different control schemes for spark-ignition engines versus compression-ignition engines.

In various implementations, the actuation module 224 may define a boundary between modules that are common across all engine types and modules that are engine type specific. For example, engine types may include spark-ignition and compression-ignition. Modules prior to the actuation module 224, such as the propulsion torque arbitration module 206, may be common across engine types, while the actuation module 224 and subsequent modules may be engine type specific.

For example, in a spark-ignition engine, the actuation module 224 may vary the opening of the throttle valve 112 as a slow actuator that allows for a wide range of torque control. The actuation module 224 may disable cylinders using the cylinder actuator module 120, which also provides for a wide range of torque control, but may also be slow and may involve drivability and emissions concerns. The actuation module 224 may use spark timing as a fast actuator. However, spark timing may not provide as much range of torque control. In addition, the amount of torque control possible with changes in spark timing (referred to as spark reserve capacity) may vary as air flow changes.

In various implementations, the actuation module 224 may generate an air torque request 265 based on the adjusted predicted torque request 263. The air torque request 265 may be equal to the adjusted predicted torque request 263, setting air flow so that the adjusted predicted torque request 263 can be achieved.

The air control module 228 may determine desired actuator values based on the air torque request 265. For example only, the air control module 228 may determine a desired MAP 266, a desired throttle position 267, and/or a desired air per cylinder (APC) 268 based on the air torque request 265. The desired MAP 266 may be used to determine a desired duty cycle (DC) for the wastegate 162, and the desired APC 268 may be used to determine desired cam phaser positions and the desired throttle position 267. In various implementations, the air control module 228 may also determine a desired amount of opening of the EGR valve 170 based on the air torque request 265.

The actuation module 224 may also generate a spark torque request 269, a cylinder shut-off torque request 270, and a fuel torque request 271. The spark torque request 269 may be used by the spark control module 232 to determine how much to retard the spark timing 280 (which reduces engine output torque) relative to an optimum spark timing.

The cylinder shut-off torque request 270 may be used by the cylinder control module 236 to determine how many cylinders to deactivate 282 when operation in a fuel economy (FE) mode is requested. The FE mode may include, for example only, an active fuel management (AFM) mode or a displacement on demand (DOD). The cylinder control module 236 may instruct the cylinder actuator module 120 a number of cylinders to deactivate 282 based on the cylinder shut-off torque request 270. The cylinder actuator module 120 may include a hydraulic system that selectively decouples intake and/or exhaust valves from the corresponding camshafts for one or more cylinders in order to deactivate that number of cylinders. For example only, the cylinder actuator module 120 may deactivate a predefined group of cylinders (e.g., half) jointly when the AFM mode is commanded. The cylinder control module 236 may also instruct the fuel control module 240 to stop providing fuel for deactivated cylinders and may instruct the spark control module 232 to stop providing spark for deactivated cylinders when the AFM mode is commanded. The spark control module 232 may stop providing spark for a cylinder once an fuel/air mixture that is already present in the cylinder has been combusted.

Some vehicles may additionally or alternatively be capable of operating the engine 102 in a fuel cutoff (FCO) mode. For example only, operation in the FCO mode may be commanded during vehicle deceleration. Operation in the FCO mode commanded pursuant to vehicle deceleration may be referred to as deceleration fuel cutoff (DFCO). In contrast with the AFM mode, one or more cylinders may be deactivated by halting provision of fuel to those cylinders when the FCO mode is commanded, without stopping the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves.

The fuel control module 240 may vary the amount of fuel provided to each cylinder based on the fuel torque request 271. During normal operation of a spark-ignition engine, the fuel control module 240 may operate in an air lead mode in which the fuel control module 240 attempts to maintain a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio by controlling fueling based on air flow. The fuel control module 240 may determine a fuel mass that will yield stoichiometric combustion when combined with the current amount of air per cylinder (APC). The fuel control module 240 may instruct the fuel actuator module 124 via a fueling rate to inject this fuel mass for each activated cylinder.

In compression-ignition systems, the fuel control module 240 may operate in a fuel lead mode in which the fuel control module 240 determines a fuel mass for each cylinder that satisfies the fuel torque request 271 while minimizing emissions, noise, and fuel consumption. In the fuel lead mode, air flow is controlled based on fuel flow and may be controlled to yield a lean air/fuel ratio. In addition, the air/fuel ratio may be maintained above a predetermined level, which may prevent black smoke production in dynamic engine operating conditions.

Referring back to the spark control module 232, the optimum spark timing may vary based on various engine operating conditions. For example only, a torque relationship may be inverted to solve for the spark timing 280 based on the spark torque request 269. For a given value of the spark torque request 269 (T_(des)), the spark timing 280 (S_(des)) may be determined based on S _(des) =T ⁻¹(T _(des) ,APC,I,E,AF,OT,#)  (1). This relationship may be embodied as a function (e.g., equation) and/or as a lookup table. The air/fuel ratio (AF) may be the actual air/fuel ratio, as reported by the fuel control module 240.

When the spark timing 280 is set to the optimum spark timing, the resulting engine output torque may be as close to a maximum best torque (MBT) as possible. MBT refers to the maximum engine output torque that is generated for given air flow conditions as the spark timing 280 is varied, while using fuel having an octane rating greater than a predetermined octane rating and using stoichiometric fueling. The spark timing 280 at which this maximum torque occurs may be referred to as an MBT spark timing. The optimum spark timing may differ slightly from the MBT spark timing because of, for example, fuel quality (such as when lower octane fuel is used relative to the fuel used in calibrating the relationship) and environmental factors. The engine output torque at the optimum spark timing may therefore be less than MBT.

The torque estimation module 244 may estimate a torque output of the engine 102. The estimated torque 284 may be used by the air control module 228 to perform closed-loop control of engine air flow parameters, such as throttle area, MAP, and phaser positions. For example, a torque relationship such as T=f(APC,S,I,E,AF,OT,#)  (2) may be defined, where the estimated torque (T) 284 is a function of air per cylinder (APC), spark advance (S), intake cam phaser position (I), exhaust cam phaser position (E), air/fuel ratio (AF), oil temperature (OT), and number of activated cylinders (#). Additional variables may also be accounted for, such as the degree of opening of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. This relationship may be modeled by an equation and/or may be stored as a lookup table. The torque estimation module 244 may determine the APC based on the MAF and the RPM, thereby allowing closed-loop air control based on actual air flow conditions. The intake and exhaust cam phaser positions used may be based on actual positions, as the phasers may be traveling toward desired positions. The actual spark advance may be used to estimate the actual engine output torque. When a calibrated spark advance value is used to estimate torque, the estimated torque 284 may be called an estimated air torque, or simply air torque. The air torque is an estimate of how much torque the engine could generate at the current air flow if spark retard was removed (i.e., spark timing was set to the calibrated spark advance value) and all cylinders were fueled.

The air control module 228 may output the desired throttle position 267 to the throttle actuator module 116. The throttle actuator module 116 may then regulate the throttle valve 112 to produce the desired throttle position 267. The air control module 228 may determine the desired throttle position 267 based on the air torque request 265 as discussed in further detail below.

The air control module 228 may output the desired MAP 266 to the boost scheduling module 248. The boost scheduling module 248 may determine a desired pressure ratio based on the desired MAP 266 and may use the desired pressure ratio to control the boost actuator module 164. More specifically, the boost scheduling module 248 may determine a desired DC 281 for the wastegate 162 based on the desired pressure ratio. The boost scheduling module 248 provides the desired DC 281 to the boost actuator module 164. The boost actuator module 164 applies a signal to the wastegate 162 at the desired DC 281 to control the turbocharger 160.

The air control module 228 outputs the desired APC 268 to the phaser scheduling module 252. Based on the desired APC 268 and the engine speed, the phaser scheduling module 252 may control positions of the intake and/or exhaust cam phasers 148 and 150 using the phaser actuator module 158.

An effective throttle area may refer to a value of the actual throttle area achieved under the operating conditions with the throttle valve 112 open to the actual throttle area. One parameter that may cause the effective throttle area to be different than the actual throttle area is throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP). The TIAP may cause the effective throttle area to be greater than or equal to the actual throttle area. For example only, as the TIAP increases at a given throttle position, the effective throttle area also increases. The TIAP may increase at a given throttle position, for example, as the barometric pressure increases and/or as the output of the turbocharger 160 increases.

FIG. 3 includes an example graph of effective throttle area 304 as a function of position (e.g., percentage open) 308 of the throttle valve 112. First, second, and third example traces 312, 316, and 320 correspond to operation with first, second, and third TIAPs, respectively. The first TIAP is less than the second TIAP, and the second TIAP is less than the third TIAP. For example only, the first TIAP may correspond to barometric pressure at a predetermined distance above sea level, the second TIAP may correspond to the TIAP with a first level of turbocharger output, and the third TIAP may correspond to the TIAP with a second level of turbocharger output. The first level of turbocharger output is less than the second level of turbocharger output, and the second level of turbocharger output may be a maximum turbocharger output.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the air control module 228 determines a desired effective area for the throttle valve 112 based on the air torque request 265. The air control module 228 determines the desired effective area further based on the TIAP. The air control module 228 also determines a maximum effective area for the throttle valve 112 at the TIAP. The air control module 228 determines a desired area for the throttle valve 112 based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area and converts the desired area into the desired throttle position 267. As discussed above, the throttle actuator module 116 may control the throttle valve 112 to achieve the desired throttle position 267.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a functional block diagram of an example implementation of the air control module 228 is presented. A torque to air per cylinder (APC) module 404 may determine a desired APC 408 based on the air torque request 265. For example only, a torque relationship may be inverted to solve for the desired APC 408 based on the air torque request 265. For a given value of the air torque request 265 (T_(des)), the desired APC 408 (APC_(des)) may be determined based on APC _(des) =T ⁻¹(T _(des) ,S,I,E,AF,OT,#)  (3). This relationship may be embodied as a function (e.g., equation) and/or as a lookup table.

A desired MAF module 412 generates a desired MAF 414 based on the desired APC 408. The desired MAF module 412 may generate the desired MAF 414 further based on an engine speed 420 and the spark timing 280. For example only, the desired MAF module 412 may determine the desired MAF 414 using a function or a mapping that relates the desired APC 408, the spark timing 280, and the engine speed 420 to the desired MAF 414. The engine speed 420 may be generated based on the crankshaft position measured by the crankshaft position sensor 180 in various implementations.

A desired effective area module 416 generates a desired effective area 424 for the throttle valve 112 based on the desired MAF 414. The desired effective area module 416 generates the desired effective area 424 further based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) 428 and pressure 432 within the intake manifold 110. The desired effective area module 416 may generate the desired effective area 424 using a function or a mapping that relates the desired MAF 414, the TIAP 428, and the intake manifold pressure 432 to the desired effective area 424. For example only, the desired effective area module 416 may determine the desired effective area 424 using equation (4) or (5), below, by solving for the desired effective area 424:

$\begin{matrix} {\mspace{79mu}{{{{{{{If}\mspace{14mu}\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}} > {\left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}\left( {{subsonic}\mspace{14mu}{flow}} \right)\text{:}}}{\overset{.}{m}}_{th}} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}} + {c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*{\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}\;}^{(\frac{1}{y})}*\left( {\frac{2*y}{\lambda - 1}\left( {1 - \left( \frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \right)^{(\frac{y - 1}{y})}} \right)} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}}};{or}},}} & (4) \\ {\mspace{79mu}{{{{{{If}\mspace{14mu}\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}} \leq {\left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}\left( {{sonic}\mspace{14mu}{or}\mspace{14mu}{choked}\mspace{14mu}{flow}} \right)}}:\text{}{\overset{.}{m}}_{th}} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}} + {c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*y^{(\frac{1}{2})}*\left( \frac{2}{\lambda + 1} \right)^{\frac{y + 1}{2*{({y - 1})}}}}},}} & (5) \end{matrix}$ where p_(m) is the intake manifold pressure 432, m_(th) is the desired MAF 414, A_(th) is the desired effective area 424, p₀ is the TIAP 428, C_(D,th) is the discharge coefficient (or coefficient of discharge) of the throttle valve 112, γ is the ratio of the specific heats, R is the ideal gas constant for air, T₀ is the ambient air temperature, and c_(n), c_(n-1), . . . , c₀ are predetermined (e.g., calibrated) values, respectively. n is an integer greater than zero. In various implementations, the IAT measured by the IAT sensor 192 or another suitable temperature may be used as the ambient air temperature (T₀).

The TIAP 428 may be based on a measurement taken by the TIAP sensor 193 (e.g., in implementations where the TIAP sensor 193 is included) or an estimated value in various implementations (e.g., in implementations without the TIAP sensor 193). For example only, a TIAP determination module 434 may estimate the TIAP 428 by solving one of equation (4) or (5), above, where m_(th) is the MAF 436 measured using the MAF sensor 186 and A_(th) is the open area of the throttle valve 112. The open area of the throttle valve 112 may be determined, for example, based on a throttle position measured by the throttle position sensor 190. Hysteresis and/or deadband processing may also be applied to the TIAP 428 before the TIAP 428 is used.

A max effective area module 438 generates a maximum effective area 440 of the throttle valve 112 based on the TIAP 428. The max effective area module 438 may determine the maximum effective area 440 using a function or a mapping that relates the TIAP 428 to the maximum effective area 440. An example mapping of TIAP in kilopascals (kPa) to maximum effective area in square millimeters (mm²) is presented below.

In various implementations, the max effective area module 438 may determine the maximum effective area 440 using a mapping of TIAP (in kPa) and throttle position (in percent open) to effective area of the throttle valve 112. An example mapping of TIAP and throttle position to effective area is presented below.

TIAP (kPa) Throttle Pstn (%) 60 80 90 110 135 160 180 200 220 0 7.104768 7.298976 7.396079 7.590286 7.833046 8.075805 8.270012 8.464219 8.658427 0.799560547 8.49367 8.725843 8.841929 9.074102 9.364318 9.654533 9.886706 10.11888 10.35105 1.800537109 10.25651 10.53687 10.67705 10.95741 11.30786 11.6583 11.93866 12.21902 12.49938 2.900695801 11.00438 11.30518 11.45558 11.75638 12.13239 12.50839 12.80919 13.10999 13.4108 4.100036621 12.07276 12.40277 12.56777 12.89778 13.31029 13.7228 14.0528 14.38281 14.71282 5.400085449 13.51509 13.88452 14.06923 14.43867 14.90046 15.36224 15.73168 16.10111 16.47054 6.799316406 14.71702 15.11931 15.32045 15.72274 16.22559 16.72845 17.13074 17.53302 17.93531 8.299255371 16.0525 16.49129 16.71069 17.14948 17.69797 18.24646 18.68525 19.12404 19.56284 10.00061035 17.78863 18.27488 18.518 19.00425 19.61206 20.21987 20.70612 21.19237 21.67862 11.99951172 20.29934 20.85422 21.13165 21.68653 22.38013 23.07373 23.62861 24.18348 24.73836 13.99993896 22.06218 22.66524 22.96677 23.56984 24.32367 25.0775 25.68056 26.28363 26.88669 16.00036621 26.49598 27.22024 27.58237 28.30663 29.21196 30.11729 30.84155 31.56581 32.29007 17.99926758 29.22036 30.0191 30.41846 31.21719 32.21561 33.21402 34.01276 34.81149 35.61022 19.99969482 31.89133 32.76307 33.19894 34.07068 35.16036 36.25004 37.12178 37.99352 38.86527 22.00012207 35.49713 36.46744 36.95259 37.9229 39.13578 40.34866 41.31897 42.28927 43.25958 24.00054932 41.37326 42.50419 43.06965 44.20058 45.61424 47.0279 48.15883 49.28976 50.42069 25.90026855 47.24938 48.54093 49.18671 50.47826 52.0927 53.70714 54.99869 56.29024 57.58179 27.69927979 54.30073 55.78503 56.52718 58.01148 59.86685 61.72222 63.20652 64.69082 66.17512 29.40063477 61.32537 63.00168 63.83984 65.51616 67.61155 69.70695 71.38326 73.05957 74.73589 30.99975586 77.08407 79.19114 80.24468 82.35175 84.9856 87.61944 89.72652 91.83359 93.94068 32.60040283 92.86947 95.40804 96.67732 99.21589 102.3891 105.5623 108.1009 110.6394 113.178 34.30023193 117.3355 120.5429 122.1465 125.3539 129.363 133.3722 136.5796 139.7869 142.9942 36.00006104 148.3721 152.4279 154.4557 158.5114 163.5811 168.6507 172.7065 176.7622 180.8179 37.80059814 183.2015 188.2093 190.7132 195.721 201.9807 208.2404 213.2482 218.2559 223.2637 39.70031738 219.1527 225.1432 228.1385 234.1289 241.6171 249.1052 255.0957 261.0862 267.0767 41.70074463 254.8368 261.8027 265.2857 272.2516 280.959 289.6664 296.6323 303.5982 310.5641 44.00024414 306.0659 314.4322 318.6153 326.9816 337.4394 347.8972 356.2634 364.6296 372.9959 47.99957275 393.8873 404.6541 410.0375 420.8043 434.2629 447.7214 458.4882 469.255 480.0219 55.00030518 570.358 585.9486 593.7439 609.3345 628.8228 648.311 663.9016 679.4922 695.0829 64.99938965 854.2015 877.5509 889.2256 912.575 941.7618 970.9485 994.2979 1017.647 1040.997 75.99945068 1188.019 1220.493 1236.73 1269.204 1309.797 1350.39 1382.864 1415.338 1447.813 88.00048828 1527.953 1569.719 1590.602 1632.368 1684.576 1736.784 1778.55 1820.316 1862.083 99.99847412 1750.417 1798.265 1822.188 1870.035 1929.845 1989.654 2037.501 2085.348 2133.195 For example only, the max effective area module 438 may determine the maximum effective area 440 at a given TIAP by selecting the largest (i.e., maximum) value of the effective area at the given TIAP. The largest value of the effective area at a given TIAP occurs when the throttle position is the largest. The max effective area module 438 may use interpolation when the TIAP 428 is between two TIAPs.

A desired area module 444 generates a desired area 448 for the throttle valve 112 based on the desired effective area 424 and the maximum effective area 440. For example only, the desired area module 444 may set the desired area 448 equal to the desired effective area 424 divided by the maximum effective area 440. A desired position module 452 generates the desired throttle position 267 of the throttle valve 112 based on the desired area 448. For example only, the desired position module 452 may determine the desired throttle position 267 using a function or a mapping that relates the desired area 448 to the desired throttle position 267. An example mapping of desired area in percent open to desired position in percent open is presented below.

Area % Throttle Pstn (%) 0.405884 0 0.485229 0.799560547 0.585938 1.800537109 0.628662 2.900695801 0.689697 4.100036621 0.772095 5.400085449 0.840759 6.799316406 0.917053 8.299255371 1.016235 10.00061035 1.159668 11.99951172 1.260376 13.99993896 1.513672 16.00036621 1.669312 17.99926758 1.821899 19.99969482 2.027893 22.00012207 2.363586 24.00054932 2.69928 25.90026855 3.102112 27.69927979 3.503418 29.40063477 4.403687 30.99975586 5.305481 32.60040283 6.703186 34.30023193 8.476257 36.00006104 10.466 37.80059814 12.51984 39.70031738 14.55841 41.70074463 17.48505 44.00024414 22.50214 47.99957275 32.58362 55.00030518 48.79913 64.99938965 67.86957 75.99945068 87.28943 88.00048828 99.99847 99.99847412

The air control module 228 may output the desired throttle position 267 to the throttle actuator module 116. The throttle actuator module 116 may control the throttle valve 112 based on the desired throttle position 267. In this manner, opening of the throttle valve 112 is controlled based on a difference between the effective area of the throttle valve 112 and the actual area of the throttle valve 112 that may be present and attributable to the TIAP 428.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flowchart depicting an example method 500 of controlling the throttle valve 112 is presented. Control begins with 504 where control obtains the TIAP 428. For example only, control may obtain the TIAP 428 using the TIAP sensor 193 or estimated value the TIAP 428 using one of equations (4) and (5) above by solving for the TIAP 428 (p₀) where m_(th) is the MAF 436 measured using the MAF sensor 186 and A_(th) is the open area of the throttle valve 112.

At 508, control determines the desired effective area 424 and the maximum effective area 440 for the throttle valve 112 based on the TIAP 428. Control may determine the desired effective area 424 for the throttle valve 112, for example, using equation (4) or (5) above by solving for the desired effective area 424 (A_(th)) where m_(th) is the desired MAF 414 and p₀ is the TIAP 428. Control may determine the maximum effective area 440, for example, using a relationship between the TIAP 428 and the maximum effective area 440 or another suitable relationship.

Control determines the desired area 448 of the throttle valve 112 based on the desired effective area 424 and the maximum effective area 440 at 512. For example only, control may set the desired area 448 equal to the desired effective area 424 divided by the maximum effective area 440. Control determines the desired throttle position 267 for the throttle valve 112 based on the desired area 448 at 516. For example only, control may determine the desired throttle position 267 using a function or a mapping that relates the desired area 448 to the desired throttle position 267, such as the example mapping provided above. Control controls the throttle valve 112 based on the desired throttle position 267 at 520. More specifically, control may adjust the throttle valve 112 toward or to the desired throttle position 267. Control may then end. While control is shown and described as ending after 520, the method 500 may be illustrative of one control loop, and control may return to 504.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a flowchart of another example method 600 of controlling the throttle valve 112 is presented. Control may perform 504 as discussed above. Control may determine the desired APC 408 based on the air torque request 265 at 604. Control may determine the desired MAF 414 based on the desired APC 408 at 608.

At 612, control determines the desired effective area 424 of the throttle valve 112 based on the desired MAF 414 and the TIAP 428. For example, control may determine the desired effective area 424 using equation (4) or (5) above. Control determines the maximum effective area 440 of the throttle valve 112 based on the TIAP 428 at 616. Control may then continue with 512 as discussed above.

The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling an engine of a vehicle, comprising: a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) module that generates a desired MAF through a throttle valve of an engine; a desired effective area module that generates a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF; a max effective area module that generates a maximum effective area of the throttle valve based on the TIAP; and a desired area module that generates a desired area of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area, wherein a throttle actuator module adjusts opening of the throttle valve based on the desired area.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the desired area module sets the desired area equal to the desired effective area divided by the maximum effective area.
 3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a desired position module that generates a desired position of the throttle valve based on the desired area, wherein the throttle actuator module adjusts position of the throttle valve based on the desired position.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the max effective area module determines the maximum effective area using one of a function and a mapping that relates the TIAP directly to the maximum effective area.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the max effective area module determines the maximum effective area using a mapping that relates the TIAP and throttle position to effective area of the throttle valve.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the max effective area module sets the maximum effective area equal to a largest value of the effective area in the mapping for the TIAP.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein, when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} > \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ the desired effective area module generates the desired effective area (A_(th)) using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*{\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}\;}^{(\frac{1}{y})}*\left( {\frac{2*y}{\lambda - 1}\left( {1 - \left( \frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \right)^{(\frac{y - 1}{y})}} \right)} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}}},$ and, when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \leq \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ the desired effective area module generates the desired effective area using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*y^{(\frac{1}{2})}*\left( \frac{2}{\lambda + 1} \right)^{\frac{y + 1}{2*{({y - 1})}}}}},$ where p_(m) is a pressure within an intake manifold of the engine, m_(th) is the desired MAF, p₀ is the TIAP, C_(D,th) is a discharge coefficient of the throttle valve, γ is a ratio of specific heats, R is the ideal gas constant for air, T₀ is an air temperature, c_(n), c_(n-1), . . . , c₀ are predetermined values, and n is an integer greater than zero.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the TIAP is based on a value of the TIAP measured using a TIAP sensor.
 9. The system of claim 7 further comprising a TIAP estimation module that, when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} > \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generates the TIAP (p₀) using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*{\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}\;}^{(\frac{1}{y})}*\left( {\frac{2*y}{\lambda - 1}\left( {1 - \left( \frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \right)^{(\frac{y - 1}{y})}} \right)} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}}};$ and that, when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \leq \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generates the TIAP using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*y^{(\frac{1}{2})}*\left( \frac{2}{\lambda + 1} \right)^{\frac{y + 1}{2*{({y - 1})}}}}},$ where p_(m) is the pressure within the intake manifold of the engine, m_(th) is a measured MAF, C_(D,th) is the discharge coefficient of the throttle valve, A_(th) is a current open area of the throttle valve, γ is the ratio of specific heats, R is the ideal gas constant for air, T₀ is the air temperature, and c_(n), c_(n-1), . . . , c₀ are the predetermined values.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the desired MAF module generates the desired MAF based on a torque request for the engine.
 11. A method for controlling an engine of a vehicle, comprising: generating a desired mass air flowrate (MAF) through a throttle valve of an engine; generating a desired effective area of the throttle valve based on a throttle inlet air pressure (TIAP) and the desired MAF; generating a maximum effective area of the throttle valve based on the TIAP; generating a desired area of the throttle valve based on the desired effective area and the maximum effective area; and adjusting opening of the throttle valve based on the desired area.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising setting the desired area equal to the desired effective area divided by the maximum effective area.
 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising: generating a desired position of the throttle valve based on the desired area; and adjusting position of the throttle valve based on the desired position.
 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the maximum effective area using one of a function and a mapping that relates the TIAP directly to the maximum effective area.
 15. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining the maximum effective area using a mapping that relates the TIAP and throttle position to effective area of the throttle valve.
 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising setting the maximum effective area equal to a largest value of the effective area in the mapping for the TIAP.
 17. The method of claim 11 further comprising: when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} > \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generating the desired effective area (A_(th)) using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*{\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}\;}^{(\frac{1}{y})}*\left( {\frac{2*y}{\lambda - 1}\left( {1 - \left( \frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \right)^{(\frac{y - 1}{y})}} \right)} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}}};$ and when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \leq \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generating the desired effective area using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*y^{(\frac{1}{2})}*\left( \frac{2}{\lambda + 1} \right)^{\frac{y + 1}{2*{({y - 1})}}}}},$ where p_(m) is a pressure within an intake manifold of the engine, m_(th) is the desired MAF, p₀ is the TIAP, C_(D,th) is a discharge coefficient of the throttle valve, γ is a ratio of specific heats, R is the ideal gas constant for air, T₀ is an air temperature, c_(n), c_(n-1), . . . , c₀ are predetermined values, and n is an integer greater than zero.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining the TIAP based on a value of the TIAP measured using a TIAP sensor.
 19. The method of claim 17 further comprising: when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} > \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generating the TIAP (p₀) using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*{\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}}\;}^{(\frac{1}{y})}*\left( {\frac{2*y}{\lambda - 1}\left( {1 - \left( \frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \right)^{(\frac{y - 1}{y})}} \right)} \right)^{\frac{1}{2}}}};$ and when ${\frac{p_{m}}{p_{0}} \leq \left\lbrack \frac{2}{y + 1} \right\rbrack^{(\frac{y}{y - 1})}},$ generating the TIAP using the equation: ${{\overset{.}{m}}_{th} = {\frac{C_{D,{th}}*A_{th}*\left( {{c_{n}*p_{0}^{n}*c_{n - 1}*p_{0}^{n - 1}} + {c_{n - 2}*p_{0}^{n - 2}} + \ldots + c_{0}} \right)}{\sqrt{R*T_{0}}}*y^{(\frac{1}{2})}*\left( \frac{2}{\lambda + 1} \right)^{\frac{y + 1}{2*{({y - 1})}}}}},$ where p_(m) is the pressure within the intake manifold of the engine, m_(th) is a measured MAF, C_(D,th) is the discharge coefficient of the throttle valve, A_(th) is a current open area of the throttle valve, γ is the ratio of specific heats, R is the ideal gas constant for air, T₀ is the air temperature, and c_(n), c_(n-1), . . . , c₀ are the predetermined values.
 20. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the desired MAF based on a torque request for the engine. 